2023-10-18 22:31:15
He is angry, Edmond Valette. The mayor of Saules (Saône-et-Loire) and president of SIVOS – Intercommunal school union – which manages the common school in Saint-Boil, Chenôves and Saules, almost fell from his chair when he received the month of August the establishment’s EDF electricity bill: “18,216.80 euros for the start of the year, while in 2022 we had paid 10,000 euros for the year. In the end, at the end of December, we should be at 40,000 euros for the school. It’s impossible to pay and I haven’t paid. We can’t…” he says, not without emotion in his voice.
Elected since 2001, this former educator campaigned in the PS and the CFDT, which he left. Today, he is no longer engaged. “I no longer believe in politics. We do not have the right to make municipalities or a school pay for speculation on electricity. This is not acceptable,” denounces Edmond Valette. He will not run again in 2026 and will therefore not provide his signature to a candidate for the next presidential election. Without hiding, he said he “signed for Philippe Poutoux last time. I knew that Mrs. Hidalgo had enough signatures and I still wanted to participate in this moment of democracy.”
“What is needed is a lasting solution”
Since the start of the school year, Edmond Valette has alerted the sub-prefect of Chalon-sur-Saône Olivier Tainturier, the socialist senator Jérôme Durain and the deputy Louis Marguerite (presidential majority). “The MP challenged the Minister of the Economy. I am told that we are going to review the criteria, particularly for the shock absorber. But that won’t be enough. What I want, what is needed, is a lasting solution. In small towns, we cannot support such increases. We must have something like 300 homes in our three municipalities. We would therefore have to increase the property tax by 100 euros for each person and even then, provided that they are all owners,” he laments.
Jean-François Farenc, president of the rural mayors of Saône-et-Loire, is categorical: “Only 10% of elected officials from small towns have increased taxes, on the only lever they have, that of the property tax. Yes, I think we need to protect schools. They are the primary lever of public service in a territory, with town halls. »
The mildness of early autumn was appreciated. But that’s not enough. “In each class, there is a student responsible for ensuring energy savings,” says Mayor Edmond Valette who does not want to cut back or eliminate the services put in place by SIVOS: an educational coordinator, a philosophy workshop, or also academic support, not to mention five discussion groups throughout the year, for a total cost of 20,000 to 25,000 euros. “Delete them? This is not negotiable. » It is planned to cover the roof of the school with photovoltaic panels. “But that won’t be enough. »
Jean-François Farenc notes: “I have had around twenty mayors alert me since the start of the year. We must understand that such increases on small budgets are impossible to digest. » Edmond Valette hopes for nothing other than “a strong and responsible decision from the government for schools in small towns. »
On the EDF side, we comment: “If the customer is temporarily in cash flow difficulty, we are fully prepared to study payment facilities to spread out the settlement of this debt. The contract signed as part of the call for tenders is an indexed price contract, which should therefore fall next year, with the reduction in gas and electricity prices. »
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